1. Field of the Invention
In general, the present invention relates to storage boxes that are used to hold commercially sold food products, such as cereal. More particularly, the present invention relates to paperboard boxes that contain a translucent window so that the volume of the contents of the box can be ascertained by a visual inspection.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many food products are sold in paperboard boxes. Paperboard boxes have many advantages that make the paperboard box the packaging of choice for many food products, such as cereal, crackers, pasta and the like. Paperboard boxes are inexpensive and provide good protection to the food product within the box. This is important with food products, such as cereal and crackers, that are easily damaged. The paperboard box is also easy to print upon, thereby providing a medium by which a manufacturer can visually distinguish its product from others. In highly competitive markets, such as cereal, manufacturers produce sophisticated graphical designs on their boxes to make the cereal more appealing to a consumer. Therefore, paperboard boxes are preferred by manufacturers because they provide a much more attractive marketing package than would a plastic bag.
Despite its many advantages, paperboard boxes are not without their disadvantages. One disadvantage of using a paperboard box is that it cannot be hermetically sealed. As such, plastic bags are used within the box to further protect the food product and ensure freshness. Another disadvantage of the paperboard boxes is that they are opaque. Consequently, the contents of the paperboard box cannot be viewed until the box is opened.
In a typical household, groceries are stored in a kitchen cabinet or cupboard. Food products that are packaged in boxes, such as cereal, are commonly placed directly in the cabinet. As such, when a person needs to assess how much cereal is left within a particular cereal box, that person must either shake the box or open the box to view its contents. When a person is assessing his/her needs prior to grocery shopping, that person must often shake and/or open numerous boxes to assess what food is in short supply and in need of replacement.
In the prior art, many different paperboard box designs have been developed that enable a person to view at least part of the contents of that box. Many of these prior art box designs are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,469 to Hudspith, entitled Covertable Container. In the Hudspith patent, a paperboard box is shown that contains an open aperture. A piece of clear plastic is glued over the aperture, thereby producing a clear window through which the contents of the box can be viewed. In the prior art, the shape and location of the clear window in the paperboard box come in hundreds of different variations.
A problem with putting a clear window on a paperboard box is that the clear window detracts from the integrity of the box. The paperboard box is therefore less likely to protect the food within the box from being crushed or being exposed to ambient air. A need therefore exists for an improved paperboard box design that contains a window for viewing the contents of that paperboard box yet is positioned in a manner that does not detract from the integrity of the paperboard box. This need is met by the present invention system and method as described and claimed below.